RECENTLY: Adored Amelie - thought it was delightful, and if it opens in 2018 or 2019 it gets a Best Tony nom. It ran into a really strong year with CFA and DEH.
Saw this show in DC - thought it was the worst thing I've ever seen. Now the show in DC is the SECOND worst thing I've ever seen.
How anyone continues to give this the green light is beyond me. The actors, outside of Brightman, are wonderful. ALEX BRIGHTMAN GIVES THE WORST PERFORMANCE I HAVE EVER SEEN ON BROADWAY. I just don't understand it..at all. His performance is cringeworthy and unhinged in every sense of the word.
Went and saw this last night, had really high hopes based on this board, so I left feeling a bit disappointed. This will do just fine on Broadway, but it isn't a revelation, and outside of Tech it won't be winning (maybe even competing) for any Tony Awards.
I hate comparing the two because of the massively different tone, but it feels alot like Spongebob from last season. Amazing tech, a few endearing moments, and you leave feeling okay about the experie
Finally saw this on Friday evening. I thought it was delightful. It is ready for a transfer.
The cast is wonderful. Mamie Parris is incredible, as is the entire company.
The score is a bit middling, but it has some heart.
The worst part, for me, was Landau's direction. It was....exhausting...a lot of pointless crosses/weaving while these massive walls were pushed around by the actors - a very laborious task. Then STILLNESS dur
This has to be my favorite "forgotten" musical. The score is wonderful - "Shine" and "Until Tomorrow Night" are awesome.
The flaws of the book are real - especially the "adult" characters. The treatment of Maria (the Mexican-American character) would make the musical unproduceable, professionally at least.
This was wonderful. Amazing what a STAGE can do for a STAGE MUSICAL. Best Live TV Adaptation - and it isn't close.
Sara B stole the show for me. I liked her Jenna better than Jessie's (which surprised me), and this was my favorite Mary I have seen. She needs to start taking the Lin Manuel route and giving herself the lead right away in all of her shows.
Norm and BVD were also stunning. Norm at the top, BVD at the end.
Having seen everything thus far, including Mean Girls out of town, this is such a weak year for musicals.
My Fair Lady and Summer not-withstanding, of course...
Mean Girls and Band's Visit are the only two legit options for Best Musical, but both are flawed...
Lenk and Shaloub are clear frontrunners for Best Actor awards. I liked Hailey Kilgore more, but Lenk is great. Jessie Mueller isn't giving her best performance ever, but it will be no
Agreed about Kristen Beth Williams - a revelation. Wonderful performance.
Christian Dante White was nice, too. Beautiful voice. A bit young for the role (or played a bit too young?), but it was pleasant and didn't miss not seeing a "name"
I hate beating a dead horse, but MY GOD. Three biggest problems:
1) Thoughtless, risk-free directing. There wasn't one truly inventive or innovative piece of staging that made sense - outside of the beautiful choreography.
2) The cast. Billy/Julie - Although both beautiful individually, together they had no Chemistry. Nettie disappears. A completely unlikeable Enoch.
My problem is that the payoff in TBV is so weak. There is no true catharsis. It tries so hard to be simple that it misses any real heart. I really liked the show, but it doesn't pack any punch for me.
I would love an example of its "thoughtful construction" and "infinite" intelligence, though.
The show was beautiful, and Katrina Lenk and Tony Shaloub were wonderful. The star of the show is clearly the band.
My biggest issue is that I never really bought any of the other characters and I found myself wishing they would focus on those two. The actors did nice with their parts, but...I just found their characters contrived and lazily constructed. I found phonebooth man exceptionally difficult to connect
The production at the Sig was incredible. It could transfer with the entire DC cast and be in the conversation for a Best Revival Tony. Especially with that set....
orangeskittles said: "Are all the people hailing ErikaHenningsen preexisting fans? Because I don't see understand how you could go into the show I saw and come out thinking she has the audience wrapped around her finger, or she's getting Tony buzz. She's not terrible by any means, she's good, but she's not giving a Tony nominated lead actress performance. She should be carrying this show, and she's not."
Saw this last night. Thought it was in pretty good shape - echoing most of what everyone else said.
A few thoughts:
This show desperately needs an outsider to come in and do a cleanup. It is just too long - by 30 minutes, at least. You can tell that the production team LOVES the material, though, and I worry that they just won't cut it. The whole scene with Regina and her Mom (with her mom's song) should go, the opening Africa se
It amazes me that people would find it abhorrent to walk out of Target with a DVD or Book but find stealing video/audio/printed materials online to be okay.
Taking money out of people's pockets is never okay....
I, like everyone, wish they would have access to Broadway recordings and easier access to single song sheet music downloads - however, it isn't my call. Respect the artists.
One of my great frustrations with fellow theatre people is their blind adoration for things with zero openness to potential flaws.
Clearly I am on one side of the fence, but to say things like "you're not listening" or "I would be less surprised if Rent confused you" is silly. I can appreciate ART without fawning over its blatant attempt at BEING artsy. Outside of Brittain Ashford (whom I disliked) and Josh Groban and Lucas Steele (whom I ador
